Trump Lashes Out, Blames Media For Attacks

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES - 2018/09/26: US President Donald Trump attends a press conference at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York City. Trump is in New York for the United Nations general assembly. (Photo...NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES - 2018/09/26: US President Donald Trump attends a press conference at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York City. Trump is in New York for the United Nations general assembly. (Photo by Michael Brochstein/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)MORE LESS

After some obligatory condemnation of the attempted pipe bomb attacks, President Donald Trump and his administration have coalesced behind the idea that the widespread anger turned violence is the media’s fault.

Trump unleashed his opening salvo at a campaign rally in Wisconsin Wednesday night, saying that the media must “stop the endless hostility and constant negativity and oftentimes false attacks and stories” mere hours after an explosive was sent to CNN.

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders then fell into line, attacking CNN president Jeff Zucker for criticizing the White House’s response to the bombings. She accused him of choosing to “attack and divide” Americans.

Trump sang the same tune Thursday morning, as more potential explosive devices were discovered.

A very big part of the Anger we see today in our society is caused by the purposely false and inaccurate reporting of the Mainstream Media that I refer to as Fake News. It has gotten so bad and hateful that it is beyond description. Mainstream Media must clean up its act, FAST!

Kate Riga (@Kate_Riga24)
is a newswriter for TPM and a contributor to the Josh Marshall Podcast, based in New York City. A Philadelphia native, Kate graduated from Georgetown University and previously worked as a political reporter at the Southampton Press in New York.